Porsche Cayenne, Panamera Production Suspended Due to Flooding

Extreme flooding has delayed the supply chain.

Due to some extreme weather, Porsche has had to put a hold on production of its Cayenne and Panamera models at the Leipzig, Germany plant. Heavy flooding throughout the Czech Republic will have customers waiting a little longer for their new cars.

If you're wondering why flooding in one country has suspended production in another, it's because of the supply chain. Bodies-in-white for the Cayenne are built at the Volkswagen Group plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. Normally, the bodies are then shipped by train through the Czech Republic to Porsche's factory in Leipzig for vehicle assembly. Panamera production is being interrupted because of the lack of Cayenne bodies; bodies-in-white for the Panamera come from Hanover in northern Germany.

Automotive News reports that Porsche doesn't know how long the stoppage will have to go on for, but isn't worried about making up the lost production thanks to its flexible shifts that can be added in later. During its three shifts, the Leipzig plant produces 450 vehicles per day. If delays keep up for too long, it could hurt Porsche's bottom line: the Cayenne is the brand's best-selling model in the U.S. Last year, Porsche sold 15,545 Cayennes in the States.

The flooded is due to heavy rains that swelled the Elbe, Danube, and Vltava Rivers throughout southwest Germany, the Czech Rebublic, and Slovakia. According to CNN, nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated from the affected areas and eight people have died in the Czech Republic as a result of the flooding. In Germany, the Elbe is expected to crest 30 feet at the end of this week; normally, the river crests at about 6.5 feet.